The Devil Archetype
by nachu
Summary: Pre-series. After five years, Ukyou returns to Tokyo for two reasons. To find out about her cousin's death. To find out about the mysterious purple-eyed man in her dreams. But subconsciously, a third reason appears. To see Kazutaka again
1. The Reunion

Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei.

** The Devil Archetype**  
  
_"Ne Ukyou. How do you define an evil person?"  
  
"Someone who does something that he himself knows to be wrong. You would be a pretty good example."  
  
"Haha. I guess you're right. But it's amazing that a smart girl like you would decide to stay in the dojo with the evil person."  
  
"If you're asking me why I'm just standing here watching you stupidly swinging that katana, I'd have to say that I don't intend to seem defenseless for long."  
  
"So you're telling me you intend to kill me?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What if I tell you you're the only one right now standing in the way of completing my vengeance?"  
  
"Muraki-sensei and his wife are dead. You already killed them. Kazutaka has nothing to do with what happened to you or your mother, Saki."  
  
"But didn't you say so earlier? I'm an 'evil person.' But personally, I'd prefer the term devil."_

_

* * *

_  
Ukyou awoke with a start. After taking a deep breath, she was able to give a reassuring smile to the old lady seated beside her in the train. Reassured by Ukyou's smile, the old lady gave a small smile back and returned to the novel she was reading.  
  
In an attempt to forget the nightmare she just had, Ukyou looked outside her window. Seeing the familiar train station in Tokyo she once used to get out of the city, memories came back to her. With those memories came the reminders of why she left and also why she was coming back.  
  
She remembered the letter that told of her beloved cousin's death. The letter did not say how Saori died only told her of Saori's death and the specifics of where and when the funeral was to be held. The sender was anonymous. The anonymous sender being able to write to her address was enough to make Ukyou suspicious since the letter's envelope was addressed to her alias while the letter itself was addressed to her.  
  
This gave her a deep feeling of foreboding. She tried to shake of the ominous feeling but somehow could not. She was not a superstitious person. But somehow, an anonymous sender knowing her true identity and telling her of her cousin's death did not seem so reassuring of what is to come aside from the upcoming "debate" that would no doubt include with a relative or two in the funeral.  
  
Her family was once a source of sorrow and resentment for her. But at present, she decided to let go of all those negative feelings she held for her family. There was no point in wasting her energy in hating them. She could not change the fact that she was the daughter of a half Japanese half English woman. She could not change the fact that she looked a lot like her mother. She could not change the fact that they hated her for her "gaijin" qualities. But she realized that her life would be changed for the better without the resentment. She realized that she had a choice to keep her bitterness or let it go. And so she let it go.  
  
The train slowed down until it finally came to a halt. Passengers could be seen taking their bags and walking towards the door. Ukyou took her time and waited until most of the passengers had gotten out. She then proceeded to take her duffel bag. But as she was doing so, she noticed that the old lady, who was sitting beside her, was having difficulty in carrying her own bag. "Excuse me ma'am. May I help you with your bag?" Ukyou asked.  
  
The old lady nodded and smiled in gratitude. Ukyou held the bag for the old lady and took her own bag. As they were walking towards the door, the old lady walked dizzily for a few seconds and suddenly fainted. Ukyou noticed this. Quickly dropping the bags, she caught the old woman before she hit the floor.  
  
Before she could shout for help, another passenger rushed to the old woman's side. Without looking at Ukyou, he introduced himself as a med student. He was too busy checking on the old woman that he failed to notice Ukyou's eyes on him.  
  
For Ukyou, this was one of the most unexpected coincidences in her life. It was him. The platinum hair...  
  
"Kazutaka?"  
  
Muraki Kazutaka looked up at her and felt the same surprise. It took him a few seconds to recover from the shock of seeing his childhood friend and ex-fiancée for the first time since the day she went away five years ago.

* * *

"How is she?" Ukyou asked as Muraki came back. He had just come back from talking to the old lady's son.  
  
"She'll be fine. Just tired from traveling."  
  
Ukyou felt relieved. But an awkward silence followed.  
  
In an instant, Ukyou flashed an easygoing smile that Muraki remembered to be the same one she used every time she was uncomfortable with a situation and ran. Unfortunately for her, Muraki caught her hand and, with strength Ukyou thought impossible for him to have, pulled her back to him.  
  
"Why are you running away? Why did you leave without much of a goodbye?" Muraki whispered in a barely audible voice.  
  
"I already told you in my letter. Didn't I?" Ukyou whispered back.  
  
"That's the answer to the question 'Why did you did you have to go five years ago?' Why did you leave five years ago leave without even a goodbye? Why are you running away now?" Muraki asked.  
  
"I don't really know. I had mixed feelings back then. Even now, I don't know why I didn't say goodbye to you when I should have. It would at least have given you closure. Maybe. Right now, I just want to run away from an awkward situation," Ukyou said as she looked at him with challenging eyes.  
  
"Hearing those words from you, I wonder if you truly are Ukyou. As I recall, Ukyou was fearless. The words 'run away' were never part of her vocabulary."  
  
"That was probably when we first met. At that time, I really was fearless. But that was because I had nothing to lose. But it's different... Everything's different."  
  
Muraki looked her in the eye.  
  
"How is it different?"  
  
Ukyou flashed him her smile again and said, "Now this is the awkward situation I was running away from."  
  
Muraki looked around to see the people around them staring at them. He rightly guessed that the people thought they were having a lovers' quarrel. Blushing, he finally let go of her hand and did not look at Ukyou.  
  
"You were acting all cool until up to this point. I guess there are still some things that are still the same, Kazutaka-chan," Ukyou said teasingly intending to tease him even more. But seeing Muraki's super embarrassed face, she decided on abandoning that idea. She sighed. Still the same Kazutaka.  
  
"Hey! I'm going for some coffee. Wanna come? It's my treat."  
  
With that, he looked back and saw her gentle smile. The smile that seemed to have made all his problems go away.

* * *

The coffee shop in front of the train station was still open when they came. They took a seat near the window and ordered their respective drinks. A few moments of silence passed before Muraki decided to say something.  
  
"You came for Amamiya-san's funeral didn't you?"  
  
"Generally speaking, yeah," Ukyou said gazing at the stars that could barely be seen because of the city lights.  
  
"Generally? There's something else?"  
  
This time, Ukyou looked him in the eye in all seriousness. Clearly, it was something of great importance for Ukyou to be serious about it. Rarely did she ever show a serious face even when she was class president of the most notorious class in high school.  
  
"I actually planned to come and see you. I feel really awkward saying this but I..."  
  
"You want to ask a favor, don't you?" Muraki said a matter-of-factly.  
  
Ukyou nodded vigorously.  
  
The waiter came and brought them their coffee. Again, silenced passed between them. Muraki took a sip from his coffee.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Your grandfather was once in charge of a mental asylum, right?"  
  
"Yes. That's correct."  
  
"Do you have his patient records? If so, may I see them?"  
  
Muraki looked at her quizzically. She had always been a curious person but what would she want with records of long dead patients?  
  
"I think I have them. But I have to check. Is there any particular patient you were trying to find?"  
  
For a while, it seemed to Muraki that Ukyou was hesitating.  
"Yes. There is. Could you get me his records as soon as possible?"  
  
Ukyou looked at him in earnest as if it were some life or death situation. For the first time in his life, Ukyou needed his help.  
  
"I'll try. But tell me his name first and why you want his records."  
  
"His name is Tsuzuki Asato. And I've been having dreams.. Well, more like, nightmares of him lately..." 


	2. The Spice of Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Yami no Matsuei

**The Devil Archetype**

"What is she doing here?" Amamiya Reiya asked her uncle, hostility evident on her voice.  
  
The addressed uncle turned his head to see his daughter walking towards the family altar that held Amamiya Saori's ashes. Being a reserved man, he kept his emotions in check making sure not to reveal any evidence of his current emotion. He calmly watched his dark-haired daughter address Saori's mother to give her condolences and go back to the altar.  
  
Reiya, not waiting for an answer, stood up from her seat fully intending to confront the man's daughter. But before she could even make a step, her uncle caught her hand. Looking back at him, she saw him motioning for her to go back to her seat. After a few moments, she reluctantly went back.  
  
"Leave Ukyou be. Remember where we are. The last thing anyone needs right now is a scandal."  
  
"But she has no right to be here. She is no longer part of this family. She herself had no intentions of being a part of our family. She made that clear when she left five years ago," Reiya replied barely suppressing the frustration and annoyance in her voice.  
  
Amamiya Ukyou left the funeral parlor without a word to any of her other relatives. She noticed their cold stares and hostile glares but paid no heed to it. She passed by her father without a word or even a nod of acknowledgment wearing a reserved expression that greatly mirrored her father's.  
  
The outside of the funeral parlor seemed to be a sort of welcome solace to Ukyou. Her relatives have not changed their attitude towards her. It seemed funny. The fact that she attended her best friend's funeral.  
  
Saori had always been a healthy person. She rarely had a cold and ate more vegetables than meat. She even scolded Ukyou once of eating too much junk food. How could she have died so young? But what bothered her was that her mother refused to tell her how Saori died. But what hurt and bothered her even more was how Saori's mother looked at her. She looked like she was accusing Ukyou of Saori's death. Aunt Mizuki was one of the few relatives that treated her kindly. To have Aunt Mizuki treat her this way...  
  
Ukyou, being Ukyou, refused to shed a tear. Aunt Mizuki was hiding something. She could tell that much. So how can she find out what was going in?  
  
"Neesan..."  
  
She turned around to find the voice's owner. It was Makoto, her younger half-brother. Five years ago, he was shorter than her and looked more like a girl than a boy; but now, he was taller than her and his features became more masculine. He was standing by the door. He still looked like the shy, young middle-school boy five years ago regardless of how more masculine he is now. She recalled that he had always been a shy boy just like Kazutaka that it seemed more fitting that he be called Kazutaka's younger brother than hers.  
  
"Hey Makoto! Long time no see!" She flashed him a smile.  
  
"Neesan! What have you been doing for the past five years?! You went away without even an explanation and that's all you say to me? Where have you been all this time?" Makoto exclaimed almost about to cry. "Somewhere away from here. Sorry, I thought I didn't need to explain anything to you since you know me so well."  
  
Makoto did not say anything more but just looked at her sadly.  
  
"At that time, I thought it was for the best for me and for the people around me. I didn't leave because I hated you guys, okay?"  
  
Makoto gave an unreadable expression but suddenly flashed a smile like his sister's.  
  
Seeing that Makoto's spirits were up, Ukyou decided to ask him about Saori's death.  
  
With that, Makoto gave a serious expression and said, "I don't really know much of the details except that recently, Saori became an insomniac and she died from an overdose of sleeping pills at least that's what Aunt Mizuki says."  
  
"So you haven't seen Saori throughout the time period she's been an insomniac?"  
  
"No. Because during that time, Saori had been isolated by the family because she was having an affair with Uncle Ritsuki. So she went away and only Aunt Mizuki knew where she lived at that time."

* * *

Muraki Kazutaka came from a family of doctors. He himself was on his way to become one. It was something he had always aspired to become since childhood. The thought of being able to save a life was enough motivation to continue on with med school.  
  
He checked and rechecked some of his grandfather's patient records but couldn't seem to find the one he was looking for. He felt pity for each picture he saw. His grandfather was not able to save them. Each was afflicted with a heavy problem that seriously damaged their minds. Repairing the mind was not as easy as repairing bones.  
  
As he was in his reverie, he heard a knock on the door.  
  
"Young Master, there's a call for you from Oriya-san."  
  
"Tell him I'm busy," Muraki said without leaving the records.  
  
"I have already informed him of that. But he told me that he would continue calling until you took the telephone and spoke to him. You must understand that he has been calling you since last night."  
  
"I see. Please give me the phone."  
  
Sakaki came in the door and gave him the phone. He then went out the door and closed it behind him.  
  
"What is it Oriya?"  
  
"You bastard! Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you since last night! I have something to tell"  
  
"I don't have time for that. I'm busy-"  
  
"Busy enough to not want to know that I saw Ukyou at the train station in Kyoto?"  
  
"So that's how we ended up in the same train-"  
  
"What? So you guys saw each other already.... So that's why you weren't home last night. What did you two do?" Oriya asked teasingly.  
  
Muraki instantly blushed  
  
"It's not what you think! We just talked, that's all!"  
  
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. You really are disappointing. Did you know that? After all those years of pining after her, I'd expect you would have at least given her a passionate kiss or two. But then again, it's just like you to be... 'anti-climatic'."  
  
"And what do you mean by that?" Muraki said with a vein popping on his forehead.  
  
"There's something else I have to tell you," Oriya said seriously, "When I saw her, she didn't look so good. She looked pretty pail and about to faint. I would have gone to her if she hadn't sat down and took some pill."  
  
Muraki eyes narrowed.  
  
"She hasn't mentioned anything to me about her sickness."  
  
"But you know it couldn't have been that bad. On the other hand, Ukyou has a history of never telling other people her problems even if it's already neck high..."

* * *

A youth was standing alone on the top floor of a structure overlooking the Tokyo. He looked like a teenager with his young face and high school uniform. And yet his eyes were a mixture of maturity and insanity.  
  
The nearby elevator suddenly rang to indicate that someone had come to the top floor. The youth heard the elevator door open and the footsteps that soon accompanied it.  
  
"Ukyou has come back to Tokyo, huh?" he asked without even looking at the person who had just arrived.  
  
"Yes. And she has already met up with Muraki Kazutaka. As expected, she came after receiving the letter of Amamiya Saori's death," the figure said in a pleasant tone.  
  
"I told you so. But I'm wondering why you want to kill her. It isn't as if she's gonna-"  
  
"Everyone has their role to play. Hers has just about to be decided. It all depends on her choice if I should kill her or not. And besides, I thought you were quite 'fond' of her. Since she has begun on her quest for answers, we might as well heighten the obstacles. After all, aren't obstacles the ones that spices up ones otherwise monotonous life?"

* * *

Author's note: Thanks for reading this far. I was greatly encouraged to write because the reviews I was given. To Literary Eagle, Kizzy, and Muraki Asato: thanks a lot! 


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